For the first time in a quarter of a century, Roma will go into a Serie A campaign without Francesco Totti. The iconic captain has hung up his boots after a glorious career in which he became synonymous with the Giallorossi, and the capital club must learn to live without their symbol.
As if that wasn’t enough, coach Luciano Spalletti has upped sticks and taken the helm at Inter, in what was the worst kept secret in Italian football this summer.
Behind the scenes, new Sporting Director Monchi is in the midst of his first transfer window since being appointed from Sevilla, and it has been a period of wholesale changes. Will the dawning of a new era finally bring long-awaited silverware to Roma though?
A new dawn had been on the horizon for some months, with Spalletti all but confirming long before the end of the season that he would be departing. In Di Francesco, Roma have looked to the long-term and the hope is that their former midfielder can guide them into a new era.
His work at Sassuolo suggests he can get the best out of a group, but Di Francesco is untested at this level and it is certainly a gamble. Nonetheless, the 46-year-old symbolises what this new-look Giallorossi is set to be all about; cost-effective and hungry.
This looks set to be the summer of Monchi, with the transfer guru finally being able to work his magic as the anticipation has built up since his arrival in March.
In comparison to some of their rivals, Roma have been extremely active in the transfer market over the off-season. A number of new signings have walked through the door at the club’s Trigoria training base, although none have been particularly high-profile.
Prodigal son Lorenzo Pellegrini has returned to the club after cutting his teeth at Sassuolo, and he looks to be a smart acquisition. Joining him from the Neroverdi is Gregoire Defrel, who appears ready to make the step up after a fine campaign.
Meanwhile, the signing of young forward Cengiz Under has all the hallmarks of a typical Monchi deal. The Giallorossi pipped a number of clubs to the highly-rated Turkish international, but kept the move under the radar as they sought potential over finished article.
It looks set to be a sign of things to come, with Monchi famed for discovering diamonds in the rough that require some polishing. Roma are likely to continue down this path for the foreseeable future, and 2017 may well mark “year zero” in their upcoming transfer policy.
Yet, arguably the most astute arrival is that of Aleksandar Kolarov from Manchester City. The Serb knows Serie A and indeed the city of Rome well, having represented bitter rivals Lazio in the past. His mentality and title-winning experience in the Premier League could prove crucial for the Giallorossi.
However, Roma fans have had to endure the usual big-name departures in order to balance the books. Mohamed Salah was swiftly offloaded to Liverpool, although the Lupi pocketed an enormous €50 million for the Egyptian.
Likewise, he was joined in the Premier League by Chelsea’s new centre-back Antonio Rudiger. It appears that a high turnover of players for profit will be the foundation of this new look Roma.
Despite this, the club tied their key midfield trio down to new contracts. Plagued by talk that he would join Spalletti at Inter, Roma faithful will be delighted that Radja Nainggolan penned a new contract. The Belgian is the driving force of the team and is unplayable at times.
If the Giallorossi were looking for a new symbol following Totti’s retirement, they may not need look much further than their mohawked midfielder.
Within a few days of the end of last season, new club captain Daniele De Rossi extended his career-long stay at the Stadio Olimpico. In a Totti-less era, it will be down to the veteran to carry the torch for his hometown club and there are few who can match his drive and desire.
As the official club captain and out of Totti’s shadow, De Rossi could flourish, with his leadership capabilities set to prove significant amongst this young squad.
Meanwhile, having overcome two serious injuries, Kevin Strootman has committed his future to the club, and the midfield trio are likely to be the heartbeat of this new Roma outfit. Throw in Maxime Gonalons as cover, and the Giallorossi have an enviable midfield.
However, with Juventus still looking dominant and the Milanese duo pumping huge amounts of money into their respective teams, doubts have been raised as to whether this Roma reincarnation has been built to truly compete with Serie A’s heavy hitters.
The Lupi’s project is admirable and certainly has potential, but whether this is enough to overcome the financial clout and title-winning experience of their rivals will be the true test of how this new Roma era stands up.
